“When we look at older women, we often only see them as ‘Mamie Gâteau,’ as Grandma. We reduce them to a social role.”
On Monday, March 23, 2026, Clélia Odette presented her long-term project and photo book Belles Mômes (German: Beautiful Girls) at the Institut français. In conversation with photo historian Dr. Miriam Zlobinski and gender scholar Prof. Elahe Haschemi Yekani, the discussion revolved around body images, representation, and the political potential of photographic images.
Odette recounted how she, at 24 years old, came up with the idea for the project after a profound car-sharing conversation and how she, too, initially had to free herself from her own, patriarchally influenced perspective (the so-called male gaze). “We all grow up with this conditioning. My view of women has changed radically over the last four years,” said the photographer. This development is reflected in her portraits: instead of objectifying reduction to body parts or naked skin, the images show a beauty that seems to shine from within. The women portrayed appear entirely themselves: as personalities, individuals, detached from social roles and norms. The opposite, therefore, of the “Mamie Gâteau” gaze. Many women later thanked Odette for feeling seen in a completely new way for the first time.
For the project, Clélia Odette portrayed 70 women over the age of 50. Her journey took her across Europe, as well as to Brazil and Senegal. In long conversations, she gained insights not only into how people deal with aging and social roles but also into cultural differences: In Senegal, older women often felt invisible in a very particular way: the prevalent polygamy of husbands structurally led to older women having to make way for subsequent wives and being marginalized themselves. In Rio de Janeiro, however, Odette met empowered, independent women who, in their old age, had built their own community of female friends and lived a life full of fun, dance, and freedom, without any men.
Clélia Odette has since formed deep friendships with some of the women, extending beyond the project itself. “We should all cultivate more intergenerational friendships. It enriches everyone!” she emphasizes.
Her resulting photo book is certainly an enrichment: Belles Mômes is a socio-political necessity, an ode to aging, and an invitation to relearn how to view the female body, and perhaps one's own.
We thank Clélia Odette for her inspiring insights, Prof. Elahe Haschemi Yekani for her insightful analyses, Dr. Miriam Zlobinski for her intelligent questions and successful moderation, the Institut français for its warm hospitality, and all guests for their strong attendance and lively exchange.
Contribution by Luisa Voita
